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Mayweather vs Pacquiao - Fight Preview

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Mayweather vs Pacquiao - Fight Preview

Nearly six years in the making, nothing came easy about making this fight, and even less will come easily about predicting it. For those who want to drop a few buckets in the bucket, we'll assist by giving insight on paths to victory for both men. This fight is as 50/50 as you're ever gonna find, so let's take a look at the intangibles to see if we can crack the code: For both Mayweather and Pacquiao, this will mark the first time in a long time, if not ever, where each man will have an opponent across from him who potentially has a quicker set of hands. The speed battle will be intriguing because the man who gets off first has a chance to land more, and in essence, potentially score more.

Where this becomes key for Mayweather is that he has the defense to actually avoid return fire if he lands first, which plays right into his dominant role as a strong counter puncher. The old phrase "make 'em miss and make 'em pay" has never been more valuable, as he will definitely need to capitalize on this strength to have any shot in the end. The next point of contention is power. Pacquiao is known as the bigger puncher, but Mayweather normally lands the better precision punches. Any veteran of the ring will tell you that the punch you don't see coming is the one that hurts the most.

Pacquiao's speed rarely allows an opponent to see them coming first, and Mayweather's uncanny ability to land without notice makes him equally as dangerous. The edge in power undoubtedly goes to Pacquiao, but can he penetrate the long length of Mayweather to actually make it count? There lies the operative question. When you go down the ledger of the attributes section for section, the one thing that stands out most is the fact that this fight will involve two men who are rarely outdone in any statistical category, which in the past has made them both next to impossible to defeat.

Fans would have to scratch their heads and pause for quite some to recount the last time we saw two boxers square off that have rarely (if ever) loss back to back rounds. Pacquiao's offensive prowess and punch rate make him virtually impossible to outscore. Mayweather's quick-twitch defense and ring intellect in general will make him a very dangerous opponent as well. Moving beyond the typical elements to break down a fight, one intriguing point of view is the list of common opponents. Both men have faced Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and Shane Mosley.

Comparing results can get a bit tricky. Pacquiao was able to stop both Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto, wherein Mayweather went the distance with both, winning via Split Decision. The stoppages look better for Pacquiao, but the reality is that both men were fighting below their standard weight classes, which most would argue gave an unfair advantage. In the case of Dela Hoya, in particular, he fought Pacquiao at a weight class which he hadn't participated in 10 years and could be seen taking IV's the afternoon of the weigh-in to replenish liquids from having to dehydrate himself to make weight.

Mayweather didn't fare as well on paper, but he did face both of these men in their legitimate weight classes and strengths. Similarly, with Shane Mosley, both men went the distance, although Pacquiao was able to put him down before nearly taking him out. The case of Ricky Hatton brings an interesting irony. Mayweather was the first to stop Hatton, but it took him 10rds to do it, wherein' Pacquiao was able to stop him in only the 2nd round. What was most intriguing about this bout was the fact that it took place on the identical date Mayweather will face Pacquiao (May 2nd), and the trainer in the Hatton corner was none other than Floyd Mayweather Sr.

All in all, you can go through just about any and every variable possible and still end up with an angle that proves the fight just "too difficult to call". Even with boxing odds explained to the fullest, there's no way to truly break a bout this complex down with any level of certainty. Smart money says Mayweather on points, but if there was ever a time to go the other way, this is it. Stepping out on a limb, you have to like Pacquiao's chances to pull the close upset. Flip a coin! That's about as accurate as it gets on this one!

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